Optical instrument

Abstract

An optical instrument of the present invention has a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, and comprises a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region, and establishes a second optical state of a higher shooting magnification than a first optical state, when establishing substantially the same focal length as a focal length of the first optical state based on the first position information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
 a first drive section for moving the first lens group using a first actuator; 
 a second drive section for moving the second lens group using a second actuator that is different from the first actuator of the first drive section; 
 a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region with a second optical state of a higher shooting magnification than a first optical state being established when establishing substantially the same focal length as a focal length of the first optical state based on the first position information, and 
 a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so that, when setting up an optical state of a higher shooting magnification from an optical state where positions of the first lens group and the second lens group have been positioned at positions corresponding to the same focal length that falls within a focal length region range in which zoom operations are carried out, based on the first position information, the first lens group and the second lens group are respectively moved to positions corresponding to a focal length that is mutually different to that of the first position information for within the focal length region range in which zoom operation is carried out, based on the second position information, so as to set up the second optical state. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical instrument of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a focus adjustment lens group, and wherein 
 the control section, when the second optical state of higher shooting magnification is set up based on the second position information, from an optical state based on the first position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to an infinity side distance included in a range of distance in which focus can be adjusted, in the second optical state having higher shooting magnification. 
 
     
     
       3. The optical instrument of  claim 1  wherein:
 the second position information includes a plurality of information items relating to position of the first lens group and position of the second lens group corresponding to a plurality of optical states having different shooting magnifications. 
 
     
     
       4. The optical instrument of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a selection section for selecting a specific optical state from the plurality of optical states having different shooting magnifications, and wherein 
 the control section, in accordance with optical state selected by the selection section controls the first lens drive section and the second lens drive section based on second position information, and control position of the first lens group and position of the second lens group in accordance with the selected optical state. 
 
     
     
       5. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
 a first drive section for moving the first lens group using a first actuator; 
 a second drive section for moving the second lens group using a second actuator that is different from the first actuator of the first drive section; 
 a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region, and that establishes a second optical state where focus adjustment is possible at a shorter distance than a distance for which focus adjustment is possible in the first optical state, being substantially identical to focal length of the first optical state that is established by positioning the first lens group and the second lens group at a first lens group position and a second lens group position that fall within the first position information, and 
 a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so that, when setting up an optical state where focus adjustment is possible at a closer distance, based on the second position information, from an optical state where the first lens group and the second lens group have been positioned at positions corresponding to the same focal length that falls within a focal length region range in which zoom operation is carried out, based on the first position information, the first lens group and the second lens group are respectively moved to positions corresponding to focal lengths that are mutually different to those of the first position information, based on the second position information, so as to set up the second optical state. 
 
     
     
       6. The optical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a focus adjustment lens group, and wherein 
 the control section, when a second optical state in which focus adjustment is possible to a closer distance is established based on the second position information, from an optical state based on the first position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to a position corresponding to an infinity side of distance included in a range in which focus adjustment is possible, in the second optical state where focus adjustment to the closer distance is possible. 
 
     
     
       7. The optical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the second position information includes a plurality of information items relating to position of the first lens group and position of the second lens group corresponding to a plurality of optical states having different shooting magnifications. 
 
     
     
       8. The optical instrument of  claim 7  further comprising:
 a selection section for selecting a specific optical state from the plurality of optical states having different shooting magnifications, and wherein 
 the control section, in accordance with optical state selected by the selection section, controls the first lens drive section and the second lens drive section based on second position information, and control position of the first lens group and position of the second lens group in accordance with the selected optical state. 
 
     
     
       9. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
 a first drive section for moving the first lens group using a first actuator; 
 a second drive section for moving the second lens group using a second actuator that is different from the first actuator of the first drive section; 
 a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to respectively different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region, and that establishes a second optical state of higher shooting magnification than a first optical state, being substantially identical to focal length of the first optical state that is established by positioning the first lens group and the second lens group at a first lens group position and a second lens group position that fall within the first position information, and 
 a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so as to move the first lens group and the second lens group to positions corresponding to a first optical state where the same angle of view is achieved as for a second optical state having a large shooting magnification based on the first position information, when establishing an optical state based on the first position information from the second optical state where shooting magnification is higher based on the second position information. 
 
     
     
       10. The optical instrument of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a focus adjustment lens group, and wherein 
 the control section, when a first optical state has been established based on the first position information, from a second optical state having higher shooting magnification based on the second position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to an infinity side of distance included in a range of distance for which focus adjustment is possible in the second optical state. 
 
     
     
       11. An optical instrument having a first lens group and a second lens group capable of moving in an optical axis direction in order to perform optical zooming, comprising:
 a first drive section for moving the first lens group using a first actuator; 
 a second drive section for moving the second lens group using a second actuator that is different from the first actuator of the first drive section; 
 a storage section for storing first position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to identical focal lengths that fall within a focal length region range in which zoom operations of the optical instrument are carried out, and second position information relating to positions of the first lens group and positions of the second lens group corresponding to different focal lengths that fall within the focal length region, and that establishes a second optical state where focus adjustment is possible at a shorter distance than a distance for which focus adjustment is possible in the first optical state, being substantially identical to focal length of the first optical state that is established by positioning the first lens group and the second lens group at a first lens group position and a second lens group position that fall within the first position information, and 
 a control section for controlling the first drive section and the second drive section so as to move the first lens group and the second lens group to positions corresponding to the first optical state where the same angle of view is achieved as for the second optical state, where the focus adjustment is possible at a closer distance, based on the first position information, when establishing an optical state based on the first position information from the second optical state where focal length adjustment is possible at a closer distance based on the second position information. 
 
     
     
       12. The optical instrument of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a focus adjustment lens group, and wherein 
 the control section, when a first optical state has been established based on the first position information, from a second optical state capable of focusing to a closer distance based on the second position information, controls the focus adjustment lens group to an infinity side of distance included in a range of distance for which focus adjustment is possible in the second optical state.